Ellis is most remembered for refereeing the notorious 1954 Battle of Berne and the first leg of the 1960–61 second round tie in the European Cup between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Ellis had been bitten by a mosquito and been told he could not officiate but he refused to follow the medical advice and was later dubbed 'the yellow rat' by some of the English players for his performance.
In the first half, after awarding a penalty, Ellis was kicked by Jose Sanfilippo and abandoned the game when the player refused to walk from the field of play.
[2] Ellis' role in the first European Cup competition was extensive, refereeing those matches played by Hibernian from the second round until the semi-final before being selected for the Final in Parc des Princes, Paris.
"I was chosen to referee the first-ever Final of this new competition ... Just when I thought that the linesmen ... would be there once more, the Football Association stepped in and said it would soon be regarded by others as a closed shop.